Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) is a naturally occurring psychoactive substance derived from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. In 2015 EFSA established an acute reference dose (ARfD) of 1 µg/kg body weight (bw) for Δ9-THC.
Following the 2015 recommendation, EFSA has monitored the presence of Δ9-THC in a number of food categories such as tea (infusions), bread, pasta and dietary supplements. A total of 588 samples have been assessed. High occurrences of Δ9-THC were found in hemp seeds, hemp oil and tea (infusions) and also in bread from hemp flour, chocolate and dietary supplements.
A limited number of occurrence data and analytical limitations in the quantification of Δ9-THC represent important sources of uncertainty in the assessment. Consequently, EFSA concludes in the report Acute human exposure assessment to tetrahydrocannabinol that the exposure estimates are expected to represent an overestimation of acute exposure to Δ9-THC and that further research is required to obtain validated data.
For more information on substances in food, please contact:
Helle Buchardt Boyd
hbb@dhigroup.com
Tel +45 4516 9097
LinkedIn